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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Cranborne Chase like this:
CRANBORNE-CHASE, an ancient forest in Dorset, Hants, and Wilts. It was connected with the New Forest; extended to the vicinity of Salisbury, Wilton, Tisbury, Kingsettle, Blandford, Wimborne, Ringwood, and Fordingbridge; and was traversed by the British Ridge way. It belonged, in the time of King John, and from that of Edward IV. ...
to that of James I., to the Crown; was given, by James I., to the Earl of Pembroke; and passed through several noble families to Lord Rivers. It lay, for many ages, unenclosed; but was ultimately divided into eight distinct walks; and, so late as 1828, it contained 12, 000 deer, and six lodges, under the management of a ranger. It still forms an extensive wooded tract, chiefly on the Wilts hills; and it presents many a piece of pleasant scenery.
Cranborne Chase is now part of WILTSHIRE Unitary Authority. Click here for graphs and data of how WILTSHIRE has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Cranborne Chase itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Cranborne Chase in Wiltshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/25555
Date accessed: 08th April 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Cranborne Chase".
